TAMPA, Fla. – A promising start to the evening was not a foreshadowing of what was to come Saturday night at Pepin Stadium as five unanswered goals by the Tampa Spartans sent the Embry-Riddle men's soccer team to a second consecutive loss in Sunshine State Conference play.
 
The Eagles (1-4-0, 1-2-0) followed a familiar trend of getting on the board early, this time with in the person of Tim-Frederik Lange. Nine minutes into the contest, he navigated his way through traffic and fired a shot from well inside the penalty area near the post and went top shelf for his third goal of the season. Roberto Whitley was credited with the assist, his first of the year.
 
Tampa (4-3-0, 2-1-0) would respond with the equalizer in the 22^nd minute, as Mike Schessl headed in a high cross from Travis Foster in the midst of several Eagles defenders. The Spartans would score once more in the first half to take a lead into the intermission, as Rojay Smith outran the Eagles' defense to score the go-ahead goal.
 
The Spartans outshot the Eagles in the first half eight to six. Gudmundur Sigurbjornsson recorded three saves against the Tampa offense.
 
The second half saw Tampa score twice in the span of four minutes to open the game up. In the 55^th minute, Foster found the net for his first goal of the season as he navigated a way through the Eagles' defense. Moments later, Amgad Salah made it a 4-1 contest on a cross from Rojay Smith. Smith would also record the final goal for Tampa, a penalty kick in the 71^st minute which made it a 5-1 contest.
 
The Spartans outshot Embry-Riddle 16-7 on the evening. Lange had three shots, Olav Olsen Aamlid recorded a pair, and Teddy West and Diogo Cobos had one shot each. Sigurbjornsson recorded five saves in goal for the night.
 
The Blue and Gold will be back on the road next Saturday as they continue Sunshine State Conference play in Miami Shores against the Buccaneers of Barry University in 7 PM match.